Window regulator



Jan. 1l, 1966 J. E. MARTENS 3,228,677

WINDOW REGULATOR Original Filed July l1. 1960 A 2 Shee'S-Sheeb lINVENTOR. JACK E- MARTENS F13.

TTORNEY Jan. 11, 1966 J. E. MARTENS WINDOW REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2original Filed July 11. 1960 mr/ENToR. JAG/a Ilvm-Ruwe ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent C) 3,228,677 WINDOW REGULATUR Jack E. Martens, Gary, Ind.,assignor to The Anderson Company, a corporation of Indiana Continuationof application Ser. No. 42,021, July 11, 1960. This application June 18,1962, Ser. No. 203,388 3 Claims. (Cl. 268-124) This is a continuation ofapplication Serial No. 42,021, filed July 1l, 1960, now abandoned.

This invention relates to wind-ow regulators adapted to raise and lowerwindow panels.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved window regulator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a window regulator havingan improved means for supporting and guiding a window panel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a window regulatorhaving improved means for raising and lowering a window panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irnproved curved glasswindow regulator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a window regulatorhaving an improved means for supporting and guiding a curved glasswindow panel.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a window regulatorhaving improved means for raising and lowering a curved glass windowpanel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a curved glasswindow regulator which is economical to produce, dependable inperformance and low in operation cost.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a curve-d glass windowregulator having fewer parts than former regulators of this type.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a curved glasswindow regulator in which the driving means for raising and lowering thewindow panel is unitized so as to be easily replaceable as a unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved connecting meansbetween the driving means and a curved glass window panel driventhereby, whereby binding is substantially eliminated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent afterthe description hereinafter set forth is considered in conjunction withthe drawings annexted hereto.

FIGURE l is an elevational View of the window regulator of my invention,an inside panel of the containing structure having been removed;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 2 2 ofFIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing a flexed conditionof the exible connecting member between the drive means for the curvedwindow panel and the footing therefor;

IGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along section line4-4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the llexible connector;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken alongsection line 6 6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE '7 is an end view of the spool shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken from the central portionof FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 9--9 ofFIGURE 8; and

FIGURE l0 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line lll-10 ofFIGURE 9.

By way of example, the window-regulator mechanism ICC of my invention isshown in a door of a vehicle body for convertibles or hardtops In FIGURE4, the inside panel of the door is indicated at 15, the outside panel at17, and the bottom at 19. These portions of the door dene a well 21 inwhich the mechanism of my invention is contained. It will be understood,of course, that the well 21 can be located in the body proper of avehicle, as distinct from a door, `and that the mechanism of myinvention can be used in other types of vehicles besides convertibles orhardtops, and even in stationary structures.

The panels 15 and 17 are formed at their tops to provide an opening 23through which a curved glass window panel 25 may be raised from orlowered into the well 21 by the mechanism of my invention. The windowpanel 25 may be supported at its top and side edges by a channel frame26 (FIGURE 1), which may be made of chrome-plated steel. A footing 27,which may be made of cast aluminum, is provided for mounting the windowpanel 25 by its bottom edge. A resilient material such as rubber padding28 (FIGURE 6) may be provided in channel frame 26 and footing 27 tocushion window panel 25.

A reversible electric motor 30, controlled by a switch not shown, and astraight helical screw 32 are operatively connected to the footing 27for raising and lowering curved glass window panel 25. The motor 30 isdetachably secured to an upturned end 33 of a bracket 34, which in turnis detachably secure-d to raised bosses in bottom 19 of the door. Theoutput shaft of the motor 30 is connected by means of a flexibleconnector 35 to a gear reduction mechanism 37 mounted on a raisedportion of bracket 34 and operatively connected to screw 32.

A channel member 39 is secured at its lower end to the casing of gearreduction mechanism 37 by a bracket 40, and is secured at its upper endto the top portion of panel 17 adjacent opening 23 by a bracket 41.Channel member 39 extends parallel to screw 32, and bracket 41 serves asa mounting for the upper end of screw 32.

A composite nut generally indicated by the numeral 43 in FIGURES 9 andl0 has portions guided in channel member 39 and cooperates with screw 32to form a motion-transmitting device. The nut 43 is similar to thosedescribed in my prior copending application, Serial No. 780,514, led onDecember 15, 1958, now Patent No. 3,014,380 and entitledMotion-Transmitting Device, and includes a hollow cylindrical steel ringmember formed of two identical parts or halves 44, 45 and a carriermember also formed of two identical parts or halves 46, 47, which may bemade of nylon. The carrier parts 46 and 47 have guide portions 48 and49, respectively, encased within channel member 39 and connectorportions 52 and 53, respectively, adjacent but outside of channel member39. As shown in FIGURE 8, the top of connector portion 53 of carrierpart 47 is provided with a ridge 56 adjacent the left edge thereof and agroove 57 adjacent the right edge thereof. Carrier part 46 is formedidentically to carrier part 47, but these parts are inverted withrespect to each other and the grove of part 46 mates with ridge 56 ofpart 47 and the ridge of part 46 mates with groove 57 of part 47 toprovide self-aligning means.

As can be noted from FIGURES 4 and 10, the adjacent ends of guideportions 48 and 49 are cut away, and as can be noted from FIGURES 8 and10, the central portions of adjacent ends of connector portions 52 and53 are cut away. However, carrier parts 46 and 47 are centrally bored toreceive screw 32, and as can be noted from FIGURES 9 and l0, a tubularboss 60 on carrier part 46 projects downwardly into ring part 44 and atubular boss 61 on carrier part 47 projects upwardly into ring part 45.The tubular bosses 60 and 61 abut each other and are cut away at equallyspaced portions of their peripheries to receive a plurality of bearingsor rollers 53 in parallel relationship to screw 32. At opposite ends therollers 63have enlarged bearing surfaces engageable with the threads ofscrew 32 and with voppositely facing raceways provided by ring parts 44and 45. Carrier parts 46 and 47, including tubular bosses 60 and 61, titloosely on the yscrew 32, and tubular bosses 60 and 51 lit looselywithin ring parts 44 and 45, respectively.

A wingshapedflexible connecting member 65 (FIG- URE 5) is fastened toconnector portions 52 and 53 of carrier parts 46 and 47 by a pluralityof screws` 66. Pins 67 and 68 are riveted to opposite ends of connectingmember 65 and spools 69 and 70 are mounted respectively thereon. Ahairpin spring 72 fits in grooves priovided on pin68 and spool 70 toretain the spool on the pin. Spool 69 is similarly retained on pin 67.The footing 27 is provided with horizontal slots 74 and 75 (FIGURE l)for mounting the footing on spools 69 70. Enlarged ends 76 and 77 ofslots 74, and 75 receive the full diameter end portions of spools 69 and70, respectively, during assembly, but in use of the footing 27 looselyengages peripherally grooved portions of the spoolsy `at the narrowerportions of the slots, as shown in FIGURE 6. The connecting member 65 ismade iiexible to enable nut 43 to follow the straight screw 32 whiledriving footing 27 through a vertically curved path. The footing 27 isinclined in one direction from the verticalin its lowered position andin the other direction from the verticalin its raised position, due tothe curvature of its` path. Thus, theV inclination of footing 27 withrespect to spools 69 and 70 changes as the footing is raised or lowered.Formerly it was not uncommon for binding to occur between footing 27 andspools 69 and 70, but it has been discovered that by providing the endof spools 69 and 70 with axial cross grooves, as indicated by numerals79 `and 80 in FIGURE 7, the ends are permitted to ex slightly andbinding is prevented, enabling changes in inclination of footing 27 tooccur normally so that raising and lowering is troubleafree. Morespecifically, the grooved portions of the spools constitute receivingportions which receive marginal edge portions of the material definingthe horizontal slots in the footing 27 and the axially grooved ends ofthe spools form one or more integral resiliently flexible deformableportions.

End guide members 82 and 83 (FIGURES 1 and 4) are provided' on the sameside of curved glass window panel 25 as screw 32, and a central guidemember 84 is provided on the opposite side of window panel 25 adjacentinside panel 15. These guide members are vertically curved to correspondsubstantially, but not exactly, with the curvature of the window panel25, and are suitably secured at their lower ends to the bottom 19 of thedoor and at their upper ends to the tops of panels and 17, respectively,adjacent opening 23. The slight difference in curvatures of the guidemembers and window panel 25 causes a slight bind therebetween andprevents rattling of the window panel. The footing 27 is guidedsubstantially vertically by the guide members 82, 83 and 84 to movecurved glass window panel 25 in a path which is substantially anextension of the curvature thereof. Pieces of felt, nylon or othersuitable material may be securedto footing 27, as at 85, 86 and S7 inFIGURES 2 and 3, to prevent the rubbing of metal on metal.

A roller 89 is mounted lon a central portion of footing 27 forcooperation with a channel track portion of guide member 84 in guidingfooting 27 and window panel 25 forwardly in the vehicle door at the endof the raising movement of the window panel. In this connection, theleftward curve in FIGURE l in the upper end of the channel track portionof guide member 84 will be noted in conjunction with the slottedconnection between connecting member 65 and footing 27. Thus, it will beseen that footing 27 and window panel 25 are guided horizontally forwardand backward in the vehicle door and also through a vertically curvedpath by only the three guide members 82, S3, and 84.

It can be noted from FIGURE 4 that footing 27 is closest to screw 32when it is at the middle portion of curved guide members 82, 33 and 84,and that it is farther away from screw 32 when it is located toward theupper or lower ends of the guide members. The iexible connecting member65 compensates for this relative horizontal displacement, as explainedheretofore. The changes in position can be seen by a comparison ofFIGURES 2 and 3. FIGURE 2 shows connecting member 65 in an unflexedcondition representing a central location of footing 27 vertically alongthe guide members, and FIGURE 3 shows connecting members 65 in a flexedcondition representing a location offooting 27 toward the upper or lowerends of the guide members. As previously explained, the axial grooves 79and S@ in the ends of spools 69 and 70 prevent binding of footing 27 onthe spools in the various positions of the footing.

It should be pointed out that motor 30, gear reduction mechanism 37,channel member 39, screw 32, the composite nut 43 and connecting member65 form an assembly which can be readily removed for replacement byloosening brackets 34 and 41.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousmodifications may be made in the same without departing from the spiritof the invention; and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact forms, constructions, arrangements andcombinations of parts herein shown and described.

Iclaim:

1. A thrust-transmitting device adapted to transmit motion from a rstmem-ber moving along a rst path to a second member moving along a secondpath disposed at varying distances from the rst path comprising incombination:

a resilient spool connected to and movable with said first member,

said spool including a grooved receiving portion and adjacent integralcircumferentially spaced resiliently deformable portions `f-orming apart of said receiving portion,

and footing means having one portion connected to said second member andanother portion received on the receiving portion of said spool anddisposed in engagement with the resiliently deformable portion wherebyto permit relative adjustment between said spool and said footing.

2. Mechanism for raising and lowering a curved window into and out of adoor along a curved path comprising in combination:

footing means adapted to support one edge of a curved window and movethe window between lowered to raised position,

said footing having generally horizontally disposed track means,

a vertically disposed helically threaded screw having nut meansoperatively received thereon for movement therealong upon rotation ofsaid screw,

said nut being provided with laterally extending resiliently llexibleportions supporting rollers disposed in said horizontal tra-ck means invertical driving relation therewith,

a plurality of guide means adapted to 4be mounted in the door adjacentopposite sides of the footing for guiding said footing along a rst pathcurved laterally of the axis of said screw,

at least one of said guide means including vertical track meanscoeXtens-ive therewith and having an upper portion defining a secondpath curved in a direction substantially at a right angle to thedirection of said rst path,

said footing having a bearing portion for mating cooperation with saidvertical track means and said 5 6 curved guide means whereby saidfooting is adapted disposed in engagement with the resiliently deformforvertical movement and substantially at a right able portions whereby topermit adjustment between angle thereto. said spool and said footingwhile linear movement 3. A thrust-transmitting device adapted totransmit of said first member is transmitted to curved movemotion fromfirst member to a second member, 5 ment of said second member.

said rst member including a nut adapted for cooperation with and travelalong a linear path of a r0- References Cited by the EXamlDel ttableScrew; h h d b d UNITED STATES PATENTS guies coopera e wlt t e secon memer or gu1 ing 2731261 H1956 Drum 268 133 a 11 gtgdcvebrlagegosefdbscfesvaviagt and 1o 2,966,071 12/1960 wise 74-459 x mme ipodmeans PP Y 2,969,977 1/1961 Himka.

D 9 said spool means including a grooved annular portion 3014380 12/1961Martens 74- 459 and adjacent integral circumferential spaced apartFOREIGN PATENTS resiliently deformable portions, 15

and footing means having one portion connected to the 1037371 4/1953France' second member and another portion received on the l. l groovedannular portion of said spool means and HARRISON R MOSELEX P'Ima'yExammer'

1. A THRUST-TRANSMITTING DEVICE ADAPTED TO TRANSMIT MOTION FROM A FIRSTMEMBER MOVING ALONG A FIRST PATH TO A SECOND MEMBER MOVING ALONG ASECOND PATH DISPOSED AT VARYING DISTANCES FROM THE FIRST PATH COMPRISINGIN COMBINATION: A RESILIENT SPOOL CONNECTED TO AND MOVABLE WITH SAIDFIRST MEMBER, SAID SPOOL INCLUDING A GROOVED RECEIVING PORTION ANDADJACENT INTEGRAL CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLEPORTIONS FORMING A PART OF SAID RECEIVING PORTION, AND FOOTING MEANSHAVING ONE PORTION CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND MEMBER AND ANOTHER PORTIONRECEIVED ON THE RECEIVING PORTION OF SAID SPOOL AND DISPOSED INENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE PORTION WHEREBY TO PERMITRELATIVE ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN SAID SPOOL AND SAID FOOTING.